A razor-thin finish
Closer than 89% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
- FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY
- Damn Fine Beef & Swine
Sep 27–30, 2023 · Kansas City, KS
Reps: Dave Rogers, Eugene Wickham, Forrest Bruce, Julie Cook, Larry Hadley, Larry Voth, Lynda Voth, Peg Rogers, Rusty Cook, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $37,965
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won Grand Champion at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest on September 27, 2023 in Kansas City, KS, scoring 706.8572 in a field of 211 teams. Damn Fine Beef & Swine took Reserve Grand Champion with 706.2744. Category winners: Chicken — GETTIN' BASTED (178.8800); Pork Ribs — Hot Cole's BBQ (180.0000); Pork — CHINGON BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — LOVE 2 Q (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by QUE U; the next was held in 2024.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 89% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 2 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
8 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 2–3: WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ and PADDY MCQ'S tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: PADDY MCQ'S and PARTS 'R' SMOKIN tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: PARTS 'R' SMOKIN and OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: TRIPLE H BBQ (won 2021), QUE U (won 2022).
Bigger than 99% of the 5,469 contests in the data
211 teams — bigger than 99% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2021 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 185 | 708.5372 | TRIPLE H BBQ | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 249 | 711.9656 | QUE U | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2023 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 211 | 706.8572 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Oct 30, 2024 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 169 | 709.7028 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 158 | 710.8344 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Sep 30, 2026 | Kansas City, KS | 1899 American Royal Way | 158 | 709.6916 | B's Que | MUNNY'S STOVE |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8800 | 178.8572 | 178.2972 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 178.8572 | 178.2972 |
| Pork | 180 | 178.8572 | 177.7028 |
| Brisket | 180 | 179.4400 | 178.8572 |
211 entries · top 706.8572 · median 683.3596
208 entries · top 178.8800 · median 171.7028
211 entries · top 180 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
211 entries · top 180 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
211 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180